The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-30
rAMpER1Na WITH THE RECORD"
Blackburn's Forcible Speech on the
Hayes Fraud Eliminated.
ffom the sd. LoMis RepabIieal

From the 81. Louis Repahiean.
WAsHINGToN, d. c., Dec. 26.-At the be-
ginning of nearly every session OF Congress
there is a great deal Of talk to the effect
that a rule ought 60 be made and enforced
that will prevent members from printing in
the Record speeches that are not delivered,
and compel Congressman to print what they
saw If tie record Is to be n true report OF
what happens, this ref-rm cannot be inaug
urated too soon. One OK the most forciDle
speeches ever made in the House is not to be
found in the bound volumes. 1t was made
early in the morning. and at time wnel
excitement ran high, not only IN the capltoi
building, but the country was then agitateu
from one end to the other The speech III
question was made by Hon. Joe Blackburn,
of Kentucky. who was then a Representa-
tive, and the occasion was the adoption OF
the Electoral Commission report in favor OF
Rutherford r. Hayes as President OF the
United States. Recently prominent SEN
ator wanted To read the remarks of the dash
| ing Kentuckian, but on turning TO the
Record. he WAS very much surprised 20 ma
that the speech had been left out and there
are only few lines in that volume to show
that Mr. Blackburn had anything to say at
all on SO memorable occasion. This Senator
has made repeated efforts to procure copy
of the famous five-minute speech, but so lar
has not been successful.
The writer OF this dispatch was fortunate
enough TO retain a printed copy or Mr.:
Blackburn's remarks-just as they appeared
in the daily Congressional Record The
speech was so fiery and created such SEN
sation at the time that the utterances OF the
Kentucky orator will ever be read with IN
terest. The youngest generation Of Demo
cratic voters at that period were SO wrought
up in this part of the country that they
wanted war rather than have Mr.. Tilden
cheated out of the office, and did not take
much stock in Col Henry Wattersons idea
of having 900 unarmed Kentuckians
MARCH or WASHINGTON.
Mr. Blackburn's speech appeared in the
daily Record the second morning after its
delivery, and near the close of the issue,
along with other speeches on the same sub
ject. 1t had the usual large display head
lines, and just above the speech proper is
the following apropos quotation:
The bloody and tyrannous act is done;
The most arch deed of piteous massacre,
That ever yet this land was guilty Of
Tie House was holding an all-night ses-
sion, in feet q continuous session had been
running for more than forty eight hours.
Mr. Blackburn had been out to dinner
and entered the hall in full evening dress.
His face was flushed and his blood was
stirred up because of the fraud about TO be
erpetrated upon the majority of the
American people. During the course cot
the long debate Col Henry Watterson, who
was serving out an unexpired term
of deceased member, had made q speech
in which te made several references to the
"blue grass" and the flowers of his State,
and he advocated standing by the decision
of the commission. Col. Watterson had
been mixed up in the little political deal at
Wormleys by which Hampton and Nichols
became Governors of South Carolina and
Louisiana respectively. The troops were
ordered to be Withdrawn, and Hayes was
given the Presidency rather than have
trouble. The brilliant editor was ready to
play quits, inaslnuc as the South had
practically gotten control of all the State
governments in that section. Not that
the editor and many othes loved Tilden
less but the South more. Mr.. Blackburn
did not see it in this light He realizeI
though that his party had been swindled.
and the last hope was goue. But he was too
mad TO let the opportunity pass without tell
ing the Republicans just what he thought OF
them after coming from dinner. The
galleries were packed. There was intense
excitement, and when the powerful voice
of the Kentucky Representative was heard in
the great nall all eyes were turned upon him.
Men and women who heard his terrific de-
nunciation Of the Republicans will never for
get the effect and the commotion raised OF
that 2i of March, 1871 But when in future
years some of the people who were there
try TO relate some of his utterances. and
! finding that their memory is at fault, turn
to the records of the Forty-fourth Congress
they will be surprised TO discover that
BlackburD's celebrated speech was elimi-
mated, and only a few lines are to be seen in
the place Of a speech that was as severe as
Ciceros denuuciation of Verres Sons OF
Tilden Democrats will wonder why that
speech was not allowed TO remain in the
Record. Il was appropriate to the occa-
sion. The